1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for mobile subscriber service access and modification. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus whereby a mobile subscriber is able to reliably access and change the subscriber services available to him using any available telephone, and not just the mobile telephone assigned particularly to those services.
2. History of Related Art
Some methods for updating or changing the feature profile for a mobile subscriber make use of a manual operator controlling the appropriate Home Location Register. This system is very tedious, and susceptible to congestion as more mobile users attempt to modify their profiles on-line.
Radio telecommunication networks now permit a mobile subscriber to utilize his mobile telephone, i.e., an assigned, dedicated mobile station, to access the network in an automated fashion to change the subscriber feature profile. However, in some circumstances, the subscriber may wish to change his profile without using the dedicated mobile station assigned to him. For example, the assigned mobile station battery may be dead, the assigned mobile station may not be available to him, or the fees incurred to change services using the assigned mobile station may be exorbitant. In these situations, it may be desirable to change the mobile subscriber service feature profile using a standard wireline telephone, or another mobile station.
Several approaches have been developed to deal with this problem. One such approach involves the use of a xe2x80x9cpilot numberxe2x80x9d which is explicitly allocated within a Mobile Service Center (MSC) to handle all accesses to service feature profile changes when such modifications are to be made using a different (i.e., non-assigned) phone, rather than the one assigned to the subscriber.
Typically, the subscriber dials the pilot number to gain access to the available features, and requests a change. The subscriber is required to identify itself, usually be entry of the dedicated mobile station telephone number, after receiving a recorded message. To verify and validate the subscriber""s identity, the MSC requests certain information, including the subscriber""s profile and Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the Home Location Register (HLR). The request is usually sent in the form of a Qualification Request, or QUALREQ, message.
When the user profile is requested, the HLR assumes that the assigned, or dedicated, mobile station is the actual instrument used to access the pilot number, which results in unpredictable behavior. That is, depending on the manufacturer of a particular HLR, using a non-assigned phone to effect profile changes may bring about several different, undesirable, actions within the HLR as a result of the QUALREQ message receipt. These include:
a) marking an assigned mobile station that is turned off as xe2x80x9cactivexe2x80x9d;
b) wrongfully pointing to the dialing subscriber as a xe2x80x9cfraudulentxe2x80x9d entity;
c) changing the subscriber""s location to a node (e.g. the pilot node) where the subscriber is not registered, such that the subscriber is unable to receive any calls for some period of time; and
d) on some occasions, the authentication feature in the HLR may refuse access for changing the subscriber""s profile, because the assigned mobile station does not respond to an authentication request by the HLR.
This problem is compounded when no pilot number is used for changing subscriber services, or service provisioning, as it is known in the art, such as when the subscriber travels out of the service area with the dedicated mobile station. It can be quite costly to update the provision of services using the assigned mobile station, as opposed to a local landline telephone.
Further, problems may arise, such as when rudimentary update services query the subscriber with respect to services already active, or offer both the active choice and the inactive choice, when only one such provision is sensible. For example, the subscriber may be asked xe2x80x9cWould you like to activate call waiting? Enter #1 for YES and enter #2 for NO.xe2x80x9d The more efficient method of updating the service provision would be to state xe2x80x9cYou have call waiting active. Enter #1 to de-activate.xe2x80x9d
Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus which provides subscribers with a mean to modify service provisioning from any telephone, whether it is the assigned mobile station roaming out of the service area, a landline telephone operating through a Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN), or simply a mobile station which has not been dedicated to the particular subscriber desiring to update his subscriber services (i.e. a non-assigned mobile station). Further, such a method and apparatus should be able to account for services which are already active, and operate in a fashion which makes the most efficient use of air time.
The apparatus for changing a mobile subscriber""s feature profile in a telecommunications network comprises a Home Location Register (HLR) with a memory for storing the feature profile, which includes one or more service features, such as call waiting, call blocking, etc. The apparatus also includes a node which communicates electronically with the HLR. The node includes a means to recognize a subscriber feature profile change request, a means to validate the request, a means to determine whether the subscriber is currently using the mobile phone to which the profile is assigned, a means to change the profile and a means to prevent changes in the profile except for that specifically requested by the subscriber (if the subscriber is not using the mobile phone to which the profile is assigned).
The ability to prevent changes to the profile, other than that specifically requested by the subscriber, is especially important in the case of the current location of the mobile phone to which the profile is assigned, and the activity indicator for the assigned phone (i.e., whether the phone is ON or OFF). The means for recognizing the request from the subscriber may use a feature code entered by the subscriber. The means for validating the request may also use a PIN entered by the subscriber. Typically, the means to determine whether the subscriber requesting the change is currently using the mobile phone assigned to the user profile makes use of a Mobile Subscriber Directory Number (MSDN) compared with an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) of the mobile phone used to make the request, or a landline calling phone number for a telephone accessing the profile from a PSTN. In addition, the determination can be made by using a first feature code for access to change the desired profile feature and implement all of the regular HLR checks and profile changes by the assigned phone, and a different feature code can be used to allow only the desired profile feature change, and prevent the other HLR checks and profile changes (e.g. phone location update) that would normally be implemented. A software program module residing in a memory, or some other device located in the node, is typically used as a means to change the profile, and as a means to prevent undesirable changes to the user profile.
The invention includes a method for changing a mobile subscriber""s feature profile within a telecommunications network comprising the steps of requesting a change from the node for a selected service feature, validating the request, determining whether the subscriber is currently using a mobile phone to which the profile is assigned, and if not, making only the changes to the profile selected by the subscriber. The node may include a memory containing a PIN, which is compared with another PIN entered by the subscriber before validation. The request sent to the node may occur by dialing a directory number of a pilot node which is in electronic communication with a PSTN.
In the case of the apparatus or method, the node may include an MSC, or a combination of a MSC and a Visitor Location Register (VLR).
The method for changing a mobile subscriber feature profile may be shortened to requesting a change for a selected one of the service features, validating the request, and preventing changes to the profile, other than that selected by the subscriber, if the telephone used to make the request is not the mobile phone to which the profile is assigned.